We have noticed that a significant number of families have expressed concern over access to paid support staff since the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect this has on the opportunities available to some families as a result.
We have a useful link to information and advice from Social Care Wales regarding their longer-term workforce strategy and delivery plan to deliver a high-quality workforce to meet the demand for services.
Social Care Wales – Workforce Strategy
We recognise that this doesn’t ease pressures faced by families in this area immediately, but we wanted to share details on how partners from across Wales are looking to tackle the issue longer-term. We continue to work with our network partners to raise awareness of this issue and influence policy and practice to help support family carers in need.
In the short term, we encourage families to have a conversation with us regarding alternative models of support and opportunities that they want to explore that allow for flexibility, choice and control for family carers and their loved ones.
We also want to use our positions within the Welsh Ministerial Advisory Group for Carers and Learning Disabilities to encourage successful alternative models of support that have been piloted throughout various projects that put family carers at the heart of their design and development.
Some examples of these can be found as part of our Caring Communities of Change project.
Some of these ideas include –
- Respitality – Connecting family carers with their local hospitality and leisure sector for a short break
- Pooling Direct Payments – pooling budgets and accessing activities as groups to share positive experiences and outcomes
- Staycation – a peer support network in Wales that connects family carer knowledge of accessible opportunities in their local area for others to share
You can find more detailed updates on the project by visiting our Updates from Caring Communities of Change page
To find out more, please visit our website, or email us at caringcommunities@allwalesforum.org.uk.
